#☾⋆⁺₊⋆ {verse} trapped beneath these bones

[witchnordemon]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ TAG DUMP

[witchnordemon]

Collector tilted their head at Valor's silence again, raising an eyebrow as he turned away from them. He was about to remark with some sort of quip when...

What?

He was beginning to... sort of grasp the concept of dying, of being dead. They'd had conversations, where he tried his hardest to understand something so completely alien to himself and his kind's very existence. They knew that... that apparently, mortal beings that got old would eventually lay down and go to sleep, forever. They would not get back up, they were not safe in the Archives, and... and their physical forms would return to the earth, but...

Hope wasn't old, not by a long shot - heck, they called her baby beastie for a reason. Was she "ill", something that could happen to mortals to make them "die" occasionally, that - while sad, couldn't always be stopped?

But then what did that have to do with Belos?

That internal question was what kicked a sick, all-consuming churning feeling in his body into motion. Philip was a nice friend! He wanted only the best for everyone- he was only protecting them, because he loved them so much! Even if he was strict, or could be snappy, or mean, he would definitely send Hope away so she couldn't hurt Valor if he was worried, b-but- he wouldn't do... he wouldn't-

He flipped from lounging upside down to a seated position in an instant, right in front of Valor but staring down at the floor instead, a deeply troubled expression on his face.

❝ Tha-that's not... I don't- why would- ❞ They stumbled over their words, ��� it doesn't make sense! H-he... he wouldn't- ❞

Well, if the Collector wasn't going to notice him he wasn't going to say anything to continue the conversa- Oh nevermind.

He looked away at their question. Able to talk, but he didn't know if that counted as better. He still felt absolutely horrible, and exhausted to boot.

But . . . he really did need to tell the Collector what happened. If only so that they wouldn't keep implying that Hope was off alive somewhere.

Still refusing to look at them, he murmured, "Hope's not off with her family, Collector. She . . . She's dead."

There, he said it. He tore the words from his throat. Was that really so hard? Why couldn't he say it earlier? What was wrong with him?

[witchnordemon]

Collector did notice how disinterested Golden Guard seemed in what they were trying to get him to talk about, and he quickly began rummaging through his thoughts, thinking desperately for a conversation topic to keep their friend here, when... he announced he should go.

They were prepared to launch into a spiel about all the cool things that they still wanted to learn, when Golden Guard confirmed he would at least be back when he could... which, who knows how long that could be with Philip keeping him busy all the time.

They wanted to fight it so bad. They didn't want him to leave again. But he said he would be back the last time too, and he hadn't lied then. He probably wouldn't lie this time either... hopefully.

❝ Yeah, yeah, lots of... stuff. To do. ❞ He nodded, sulking only a little bit as his shadowed self returned atop his disc prison, prepared to return to the mind-numbing, voidal nothingness of the in-between once more. ❝ Next time, for sure... ❞ They repeated, soon as they saw the tablet cover come into view - as if holding him to his word, ❝ ...I'll make you tell me about mortal stuff and math. ❞

"What, pain . . . ? Yeah, that's um. A thing to let you know something is wrong with your body I think. So you can do something about it. Get a cut healed or something."

He sighed, reaching under his mask to scrub the tears out of his eyes. "Um. Sure, yeah." He sighed again as he dropped his arms and looked out towards the window. ". . . I should go." He looked back at the Collector. "I'll . . . be back when I can. But I need to go. Things to do, y'know." Not that he'd actually be doing any of those things.

He went over to his bag and checked to make sure he had his things packed away, mentally swearing when he saw the stand in there. He'd completely forgotten to put the Collector's tablet on the windowsill while they talked. Augh. Fine. Whatever. He'd do it next time.

He closed his bag and swung it around his shoulder, then grabbed the cloth that went over the disk. "I'll, uh. See you next time?"

[witchnordemon]

He nodded with excited vigor - the idea of further carving a new identity for himself... it felt good to think about, to choose his own path while he was stuck here, something good to remember this time by, with the help from his new friend no less.

❝ Do you have any lists? Books? ❞ They inquired with a tilt of the head. ❝ Like, of Boiling Isles names - I wanna look at 'em first, get an idea of what's cool. ❞

The topic switch to Titans had them beaming, then frowning, which was then accompanied by a slow raise of the eyebrows when Valor explained his way of thinking; of why Papa may have felt threatened by Collector's seemingly innocent and fun game.

❝ Tha- that doesn't make sense, of course I'm good, the Titans are my best friends, of course I know what I'm doing... ❞ Collector voiced, quieter than usual and much moreso to themself than Valor. But... as much as he knew he would never try and be mean or hurt the Titanlings... what his friend was saying actually did made sense. Valor was an expert on the beasties of the Isles. Even though he had never met a Titan, he was smart about this stuff; about how animals around him felt, so... he was likely onto something. Maybe Papa really didn't know that it was just a great big fun game, and he just got overprotective of his babies, so - he wasn't mad at Collector, right? It was just a big misunderstanding?

Their eyes widened, looking back at Valor properly and thumping a hand against their other palm. ❝ Valor! You prob'ly got it! Maybe he didn't understand the rules of the game! ❞ They concluded, tapping a hand against their chin. ❝ He thought I was playing too hard, or didn't know it was all just make believe, and no one was getting hurt - and he wanted to protect them. ❞

Collector deflated with a hunch of his shoulders. Now they felt kind of bad. They couldn't truthfully say they ever gave real thought about how Papa might have felt. They thought he liked them, since he let them live with his kin for so long... but maybe he just got mean 'cause he was scared, or unsure. Heck, Philip did that sometimes, too, and as much of a sourpuss he could be, they knew he didn't really mean it.

❝ ...I wish I could just... talk to him. ❞

Valor smiled up at him. "Tell me if you ever decide you want to be called that, then. Or anything else."

It would almost be . . . fun, if they did decide to take on another name. Then they could both switch to names neither of them had known the other by before. Something just for them. Something they shared together.

"Maybe he didn't know you wouldn't?" Valor offered. He sat back, placing his hands in crossed legs as he thought. "Like. You said it was the last titan. I don't know if it's the same for titans, but like . . . Have you seen the parents of young beasts? The ones that actually raise their kids instead of just letting them fend for themselves.

"Like . . . they get super territorial. Even if you're someone they know is good! You're never supposed to get near a mom with kits unless you really, really know what you're doing 'cause you could get maimed just for being nearby.

"And like . . . Like if all the titans were disappearing on him, he was probably terrified. He wouldn't want his kid to disappear, too. So he might not have been wanting anyone to get near them. And if you were actively seeking them out, maybe he saw that as a threat. Even if you couldn't hurt it, you could steal it away. You didn't mean any harm, but he didn't know that, so he lashed out in fear, you know?"

[witchnordemon]

❝ Yeah, we can travel long, long distances, and collect beings that are close to going away... and find a better place for them somewhere... someday. ❞ He ended, with a touch of uncertainty. Such circumstances were probably rare, but the idea of waking a mortal up from a nice long nap and giving them a perfect, brand new place to play forever seemed wonderful to them. After all, while collecting things was fun, getting to interact and play with them was much better - he'd know, it's exactly how he felt about Titans.

A noncommittal hum was Collector's response to the idea of a "mate", something they now knew Titans didn't have or need. Or did they? Titans could and often would choose to raise their babies with other Titans, even if they didn't need help having the eggs in the first place. Was that... different? Maybe it was - they'd have to inquire more into the topic, it was fascinating to hear all of this new, cool stuff about mortals.

He nodded to confirm Golden Guard's words, ❝ Yep, I'm from wayyy up there, ❞ he gestured up at the ceiling of the room they were in, ❝ I, um... don't remember a whole lot. Just what I said before - the sky, how it never changed, but there were so many stars and planets, and my siblings, and how they collected beings but didn't let me do it. ❞ He huffed, though... recalling and saying all this to someone brought back that similar aching feeling in their chest again. They... definitely missed it to some extent, and their siblings. Although he was always a tad upset at not being taken as seriously as the rest - he would do anything to see them again, for them to come back for him.

The despair that had been welling up in them dissipated at Golden Guard's reassurance. He wasn't going to leave them forever. And he wasn't going to forget about them either. He even - he even said he would come back. Even though he said it could take a while, he promised... and besides, lying in wait for what seemed like eons wasn't something unfamiliar to them in the slightest.

Collector exhaled a breath they weren't aware they were holding in (or that they had the ability to do?) and clasped their shadowed hands, looking at him from their place atop the tablet they would be retreating into shortly.

❝ I promise I won't tell.. Philip, or Lord Belos, or forget about you, neither. I can wait a long time - I'm really good at it! And while I wait, I'm gonna try my best to remember every cool thing I ever knew. I'm- I'm gonna think so hard about everything cool about Titans, and all my bestest stories. And you can tell me all about your favorite beasties, or about math... and I'll listen. ❞

". . . In the cosmos?" How did they even get up there? Were there places out there up in the cosmos that actually had similar enough environments to here that creatures could survive in them?

Aside from . . . that whole confusion, though, Valor seemed to accept their explanation. Ideally one shouldn't take any individuals from a dwindling species in the first place, lest that exacerbate the problem, but if it was for restoration purposes and they could eventually find a better place for them, then that was far better than just collecting them for the sake of collecting them at least.

He listened in fascination as they continued answering his questions about titans. Some of these creatures he knew were old, old species, such as the selkidomus and trash slug. Others he didn't. Ratworms, griffins, and giraffes all existed during the age of the titans? That was incredible. He wondered if they'd at all changed since then. But he didn't have the time to ask any more questions. Next time, maybe. If there was a next time.

"It means . . . Yeah, it basically means being able to lay and hatch eggs individually without the need for a mate." He wasn't going to go into the technical stuff with this kid. That's all he really needed to know right now.

"You're from the stars?" Valor asked, incredulous. Well, if he used to live in the stars that at least made finding where creatures could be moved to in the cosmos make at least a little more sense. Ohhhh he was going to have to ask more about the Collector's species as well when he had the time to.

Oh titan. Okay. Okay. Any uncertainty he had about not coming back was gone just looking at how pitiful the Collector looked right now. He couldn't in good conscious just abandon them like that. Alright, fine.

He wondered what funny word they were talking about though- Oh. The swear. Yeah sure he could teach them that.

"I promise not to forget about you," he told them. "And . . ." he took a breath, "I promise to come back. But," he emphasized, "Lord Belos keeps me very busy and it might not always be safe for me to come here, so it might be a while before I can, okay? But I'll try."

[witchnordemon]

He noted the damp soil around the tiny little leaves, squinting to zoom his eyes in to see it more accurately. Ah, there, that was better. He could get a much better look this way. It was like, super teeny fronds from this close up, kind of like the same shape as the sea grass he used to notice whenever a Titanling wanted to take a dip in the ocean.

As such, the Collector was way too engrossed in nostalgia... and staring at what was essentially just a clump of dirt to the naked eye to even react right away when Valor found his words again. One beat, two, even three, before it processed and he stopped rotating around the small green patch.

❝ Wha-huh... OH! ❞ They blurted, finally indicating that yes, they had indeed heard him. Rising up out of the floor, he approached Valor, rotating upside down and floating in place before him.

❝ 'Sokay, you better now? ❞

It took far longer than Valor was comfortable with to reign himself back in. Why was it so hard? It shouldn't be this hard. He's not supposed to do this! Especially not in front of someone else! And why hadn't the Collector yelled at him about it yet? Lord Belos would have shushed him the moment it started happening, but the Collector was just . . . letting it?

It was novel, and while he was incredibly embarrassed about it, it was also . . . He didn't know. Better, maybe? It was nice to not be reprimanded for something he couldn't control. But it also felt like it could happen at any moment, and that tension was unbearable.

The tears stopped first, but Valor knew if he attempted to talk now, he could fall back into it the instant he started talking, especially with this conversation, so he didn't even attempt until several minutes afterwards.

When he did, eventually, calm to a point where he thought he could reliably say something, he opened his mouth to speak.

"'M sorry . . ."

[witchnordemon]

Two simple words. I can't. Collector had established by now what that meant - that Valor couldn't explain yet, and they needed to wait. He couldn't see them with his head down like that, so...

❝ Okay. ❞ Was their only answer.

He wasn't mad or annoyed - really truly! But it made them feel... funny inside to have to just sit, or stand, or float wherever they were when he was like this, but... it only seemed to make things worse whenever they spoke at all during these crying spells, so they kept quiet. Besides, he could entertain himself just fine.

Freely roaming around the floor of the room, he took note of areas where the terrain was uneven, or where little plants and weeds seemed to be taking up home in the cracks, focusing in on and swirling around a particular bed of moss that interested him.

Valor gasped air in as if he couldn't breathe, which . . . well, it certainly felt like he couldn't. Not with the way his sobs ripped the air from his lungs. He could hardly breathe enough for that, much less for words in addition to that.

They were asking what happened and he needed to tell them. He was supposed to tell them. But he- he couldn't get anything out. Any attempts at speaking were so distorted that he cut them off immediately. He couldn't- He couldn't- He couldn't do this it was too much he couldn't he couldn't he couldn't-

Eventually, two choked out words managed to escape his mouth. "I can't . . ."

[witchnordemon]

At Valor's return to crying, they winced, raising their hands in an almost hushing motion - not that he could see, as he hung his head back into his knees. ❝ Awwh, I know, it feels bad to- whoa! ❞

His eyes snapped wide open in surprise as Valor wailed. They thought they were doing good - that they were doing a good job at being a friend! Stars, what had they said?

Was Valor just really really missing his little friend?

Collector flattened himself to be flush with the floor, circling slowly around Valor.

❝ What's wrong? What happened? ❞

Human friend- Philip? That made sense. That was true. Could it . . . Could it be the same for demons? Could that have been what was happening with Hope? Because he was training her, and she already wasn't super evil, she was learning how to be good? Learning from him?

The tears came out full force, then, at the thought of what could have been, but no longer could be. Of what he lost.

He wanted to emphasize to the Collector, again, that he didn't feel anything for the past few weeks, so he couldn't figure out why he was feeling it all now, how it wouldn't have affected him immediately if she was good, and why it would affect him now if she wasn't, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Instead he just dropped his head back into his knees and cried.

The Collector's final words sent him freshly wailing all over again. No . . . No no no no no they didn't- They didn't get- They didn't! She wasn't! She wasn't! SHE WASN'T ALIVE ANYMORE SHE WAS DEAD SHE WAS-

[witchnordemon]

Uh-oh. Was the Collector wrong in voicing that? Oh no-

❝ Well, it's just tha- with humans- ❞ How could he word this without giving it away? ❝ ...my human friend told me, that all people are considered evil from the moment they're created! And that... they have to work to become good. It's like, a lot of work - so much work! But if they try really hard, they won't be evil anymore. ❞

Their explanation was frantic, not wanting Valor to think of them as a traitor to him, or Philip, or their cause. They knew Philip had to be right to be wary of demons, since they were all so dangerous and mean and whatever, but he had told Collector - directly and indirectly - enough about humans that, well.. from what they heard, it sounded like it could work, should work, with demons, too.

❝ ...Maybe, beasts who are already not super evil... maybe... they could learn to be truly good, too. ❞

They then quirked a brow at Valor explaining that he was feeling things, but they nodded as they had a moment to process it. ❝ Makes sense. You liked her a whole bunch so it makes you feel a lot of badness to know y'can't see her anymore. ❞ He sighed, tapping his hands against his cheeks. ❝ I dunno. Maybe she coulda learned how to be good - she seemed okay whenever I saw her. ❞

He gave a small smile to his friend, shrugging. ❝ But you always got me! And... and maybe baby beast is happy to be with her pack! ❞

Valor looked up at the Collector in surprise, tears still flowing freely in from him eyes. "H-huh?"

Demons . . . demons that are good? Very rare demons that are actually good? Was that . . . possible? Could Hope have been . . . good?

He sniffled, wiping the tears from his eyes, and took a shaky breath. He still hesitated a moment, but then, he said, "I, um . . . I thought maybe . . . Maybe she might be manipulating me . . . enchanting me . . . 'cause, 'cause I stopped feelings after . . . after it happened. But- But now suddenly I'm feeling things again and I- I don't know what's going on."

[witchnordemon]

Valor's wordless nod confirmed the conclusion the Collector had come to; that for some reason or another, Philip had forbade him from seeing his little buddy again.

It wasn't fair! Grown-ups of all species were always going around saying their littl'uns couldn't be friends with whoever else's littl'uns, because some dumb mean reason, and it never felt good!

Lost in his own mental tirade about how mean and dumb and stupid Papa Titan was, and how even if Philip meant well it still hurt, he snapped his gaze forward when Valor again spoke.

One blink, two blinks, before it registered.

❝ Oh... right, that. ❞ They murmured. ❝ I know demons are 'sposta be real bad, and most of them are, we shouldn't be talking to them... and it's... it's to keep everyone safe, but... ❞ Well... Hope wasn't bad - not yet, she was real young - she could have had time to be trained to be good... right? She didn't seem like she had a mean bone in her whole body, 'specially after Valor confirmed that she never ever hurt him.

Could they... say what they were thinking to Valor, though? He was Philip's left hand witch, after all, but...

❝ Sometimes, I think... maybe some - just a few, demons could be... very very verysuperrarely... good little guys. A-And we're not allowed to play with them or teach them to be good, 'cause it's so rare! 'Cause their kind is known for being so bad! And it's not safe, but... it doesn't feel good to have to say bye. ❞

Valor just . . . nodded, because it was the only response he could give in this state, and the Collector was correct. They just didn't know the extent of it.

Best friend? Was that what she was? She was supposed to be a tool. Something to use to get what he wanted. But . . . he supposed, if that was all she was, Lord Belos wouldn't have made him kill her.

Titan, he'd made friends with a demon. No wonder Lord Belos was so harsh. He just broke one of the worst rules he was given. He bit down harder, the fabric over his knees now soaked with both saliva and tears. It tasted salty.

What was wrong with him? He had- He had to get a hold of himself. He was very, very lucky that the Collector hadn't yet reprimanded him for this pathetic display, but he didn't want to risk it happening still. He tried huffing in some breaths, but it hardly lasted long before he started wailing again.

Finally, he unlatched his teeth from his knees and instead buried his face into his legs. This was ridiculous, Valor, you were doing fine for weeks. What are you doing??? Stupid, force it down, speak.

All he managed to say through the tears was a hardly understandable, "M'not sup- supposed to- s'posed to make friends with- with demons."

[witchnordemon]

Eyes darting awkwardly to the side as Valor began sobbing again, he gave a noncommittal hum. That was all the Collector needed to witness to conclude that he was likely on the right path here.

❝ ...He did, didn't he? ❞ They answered for themself, really, crossing his legs and fiddling with a thumb mindlessly. ❝ And- and now, you're not gonna see her again, and it feels... bad. ❞

For all his siblings had done to be mean and dismissive sometimes, he couldn't (and wouldn't) lie and say he never missed them in the long span of time between his separation and subsequent imprisonment, and the even longer span between then and the present.

To say nothing of how excited they had been in the past, when a select few and far individuals had stumbled upon them and given them companionship; brief reprieves from their isolation that never lasted long.

And the Titanlings...

❝ She was your little best friend, and... someone made you stop seeing each other, and it's not fair. ❞ He hunched his shoulders, hands balling into fists. He knew this feeling all too well. Philip was his friend, and all he wanted was the best for them, and they knew that, but... but... sometimes, the things he did didn't make them feel good at all.

The tears restarted the moment the Collector started talking about Hope. He bit into his knees, hard, trying to stymie the rush of emotions. But it was to no avail, and he just ended up sobbing into his knees with his mouth latched around them instead.

. . . It did help, emotionally, though. The pressure in his mouth and the pain in his skin made him feel a little more able to deal with the wave of emotions he was utterly drowning in.

Distantly, he registered the Collector's question, but he had no way of responding like this. He didn't even know how to respond. Technically Belos did, yes, but it was so much worse than just separating him from her.

[witchnordemon]

So... then if a demon hadn't hurt him... what had? What did demons have to do with what was wrong? Gah, this was such a hard game!

He raised a brow at Belos' name, wondering what was coming in its lieu. ❝ Hope? Belos hoped what? Oh! You mean- ❞

❝ Baby beast! ❞ They exclaimed, beaming as soon as they realized Valor was talking about Hope the itty bitty griffin that he'd introduced (and often gushed about) to them before, and not the concept of hope. ❝ Aww, she didn't hurt ya, did she? She's like, this eensy weensy. ❞ They pinched their index finger and thumb together, maybe exaggerating how small she was just a tad.

Then, the Collector took great pause, watching as Valor seemed to turn inwards, to be on the brink of a breakdown again. It was then that a sinking, creeping feeling he hadn't felt in a long while made itself known to him.

❝ Did... Belos... separate you from her? ❞

He shook his head rapidly. "No. No no no no no." It was the opposite of that, in fact, but titan he didn't want to think about it. "Just- Lord Belos- Hope."

He shoved his face back into his knees, breathing picking up once more, but he didn't start sobbing again, thank the titan.

He should say it. He should say it but it was so hard to say. To even think about without breaking into hysterics yet again. What was wrong with him? He'd been fine for weeks. Where did this come from all of a sudden. Why couldn't he make it stop?

[witchnordemon]

In the downtime of waiting for Valor to feel okay enough to communicate again, Collector took some time just... observing the room around him in a way he wasn't sure he'd ever done before. Each time Philip had summoned them to talk, he was often brief and to the point, and Collector was so preoccupied with him, with telling their new best bud about powerful spells, or asking him about what he was doing out in the world, that they'd never had time to just... look.

Of course, there was the window, one he'd longingly looked out of whenever he had the chance, but now he was finding himself noticing little cracks in the walls, divots in the floor; areas where the passage of time showed itself in small ways.

As such, he was surprised when Valor eventually broke his way through their idle thoughts with his words. Still, they turned to face him, regarding whatever he had to say as much more important than simple observations.

❝ Baddd...? ❞ He repeated with a tilt of the head, ❝ Demons? Oh. ❞

The two of them had already established how they'd both heard, at length, Philip's teachings on how bad Demons could be; of their ability to enchant the minds of non-Isles residents - of the underlying malevolence behind their actions.

❝ Did a demon hurt you? ❞ They finally gasped, eyes widening.

Valor took several long moments to get a handle on himself again. And he made sure to wait this time, longer than he did last time, to make sure he had a better grip on himself. He felt bad for forcing the Collector to be silent for so long, but the last thing either of them needed was for him to fall into hysterics again.

Eventually, though, he swallowed and said, "It's . . . It's not a secret. Just . . . bad. I think. Maybe. I don't know. Bel- Lord Belos thought it was for the best. Demons are bad. You know? I didn't- This - crying - hasn't happened until now. I thought it was fine. I don't know why it's happening now. It was weeks ago."

[witchnordemon]

They froze when Valor started squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head real fast. Great, they thought, he was even upsetter now.

He did at least try and tell them what he needed, verbally, given that he couldn't currently see the Collector's attempts at easing his strife with nonverbal gestures. Man, they were just trying to help-

The return of the chokey voice thingy startled Collector, and he sat very straight, and very still. He could do that. ❝ Aye aye, holding on. ❞ He confirmed, mouth closing in a straight line as he watched with wide eyes.

"Yeah, seawater isn't really drinkable . . ."

Valor squeezed his eyes shut. Stop stop stop stop stop stop DON'T break down again DON'T.

The Collector was talking again. They were musing about what was causing his breakdown, and he couldn't do anything, couldn't say anything to it. They kept trying to talk to him when he couldn't TALK.

He shook his head rapidly. "H-hold on," he choked out.

[witchnordemon]

❝ Salty? ❞ Collector echoed, pondering for a moment. ❝ The sea was always kinda salty... back when it sparkled. ❞ He said, a wistful tone to his voice. ❝ It was salty, a little sweet, and fizzy too... Papa Titan always said not to drink it on purpose, 'cause it could make the littl'uns sick. ❞

And then... suddenly, all the progress they thought they were making with Valor seemed to vanish, as he froze (and clammed) right back up, and did the ears-down-sadness thingie that, for better or for worse, Collector was now growing familiar with.

They deflated a bit, shoulders hunching. He said he wasn't mad at them, and... they really hoped he wasn't lying. Maybe he was mad at something else?

Oh. Wait. He had told Valor about how, in the past, he wished people would be honest about when they weren't allowed to tell him something. He never liked it, but being lied to about it like he was stupid was so much worse than just being told he couldn't know yet. Even if it drove him bonkers, perhaps... whatever was making Valor have tears was something Collector wasn't permitted to know.

❝ Mmmmmnn... this is so hard - you're not mad, you're not fibbin', you're not lying about fibbing, you're not hurt... ❞ He quickly rambled, raising a finger with each item on the list as he spoke, ❝ so is it something you can't tell me? Is it a super secret? ❞ He prompted, curling his four fingers around his shadowy thumb, keeping it there for a moment before making a thumbs up at Valor and switching between that and a thumbs down a few times. ❝ Yes? No? Mmmaybe so? ❞

He nodded. "No it's, um." Wait, what was tears, actually? ". . . Salty."

Valor froze when they asked why he was crying, though, and he slapped his hand back over his mouth as the tears started up again. No no no no no keep it down keep it down!

Hope.

[witchnordemon]

The idea that he wasn't mad solidly tipped their scale right back on into bafflement territory. What did he mean he wasn't mad at them? That didn't make any sense, but...

❝ It's not water? It's something called... tears. Huh. ❞ That was interesting to him. He really did like learning new things, especially when his access to new knowledge was very much controlled and scarce... though, he was rapidly realizing that he preferred to find out new things in better, happier circumstances.

Still, if Valor wasn't being poisoned by these so-called tears, if he also wasn't mad at them, then, why...

❝ So... if you aren't mad, ❞ They began, not completely convinced, ❝ and tears don't hurt, then what made you do cry-ying? ❞

Valor nodded. He was glad he didn't have to explain what kind of emotion it was tied to. Especially since sometimes it just seemed to come out of nowhere for him.

Although, with the comparison to their siblings . . . "I'm not mad at you," he decided to clarify.

They responded well to his bare explanation, though, so he continued, ". . . It's called crying. The . . . The stuff is called tears."